My childhood ambition wasn't to be a firefighter, or a doctor, or a police officer. No, from the time I can remember I wanted to be an astronaut. I was determined that I would join NASA one day and fly into orbit. I knew everything about space, had every book, had seen every movie, and more. Birthday parties were space themed and cakes shuttle shaped. I was convinced I would one day visit the cosmos.
But that dream never did come true, rather, I've been pursuing other dreams. While my current dream may keep me grounded on earth, I have never forgotten about my first passion. I've watched nearly every Shuttle launch and or landing, have created lessons and units all about space, and still dream about what it would be like to float freely in outer space and look down on Earth.
And today it's the end of an era. And it feels, to me at least, that part of my childhood dream is ending. The last space shuttle mission began today. The last time that one of those amazing creations will blast off from Florida for orbit. The last time I will hear mission control count them down from T-10. It feels bittersweet; all my life I have dreamed of being an astronaut. Even at 23, I still dream of climbing into the orbiter and blasting off, but today that dream is ending.
I have grown up with the shuttle program, lived through many of the numerous triumphs and tragedies, and today that chapter in America's history and my personal history ends. I can't wait to see what NASA rolls out next, I am sure it will make me long to blast off even more. And now, I'll keep reaching for the stars!
3 thoughts on the matter:
AWWWW I LOVE this post. Life is interesting that way and all our dreams that never came true. We just need to accept that other dreams took over. And what matters is that in one way or another we still keep reaching for the stars :)
For me, the shuttle program will always be tinged with sadness. My hubby was a big fan of NASA and the program, until he witnessed the Challenger disaster live on TV, while he was in college in Boston, taking the lives of all the crew including Christa McAuliffe. My hubby's faith in NASA was never restored, and even when our son asked about space-relate stuff, he would quickly pass on to other topics.
By the way, you were right on with your guess that the "x-ray" image in my Scavenger Sunday collection was of an Allium. Saw it sitting on the table at the Banyan Tree Hangzhou, silently pleading for me to capture its passing beauty...
I was like you and definitely wanted to be an astronaut as a kid. I used to be obsessed with astronaut ice cream. And dream of going to space camp, which unfortunately never happened for me.
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